The Race
by Lady Valtaya
Summary: Cloud must win a race at Gold Saucer to clear their names and escape Corel Prison beneath the huge resort... But can he?


**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything in this story. I just like borrowing Square Enix's characters to tell stories for the fun of it...

The Race

"That was a pretty good race. Just wait here a minute, Cloud. I think I have a chocobo that you might like a little better," Ester said.

He looked around the empty jockey's lounge and sighed._ I'm no chocobo jockey, _he thought dismally. _That last race proved it._

"There you are." Ester smiled pleasantly again as she called him over to the door. "Everything is arranged. You're riding in the next race. Just like before, all you should really have to do is not fall off. This chocobo is kind of _tired_, but he should be able to handle the competition at this level no problem since he used to race at class B. Good luck, Cloud!"

_Thanks_. He sighed.

The other chocobos and their jockeys were already waiting for him in the saddling paddock and they all looked restless and bored because he was delaying the race. A few of the other riders laughed when they saw the track steward leading his mount out of the tunnel that lead to the track stables where the birds were kept.

"You're really going to ride that old feather duster?" The bird _was_ older than the others in the race. It was also favoring one leg, even while just walking. His first instinct was to refuse, he felt a little bit sorry for the old bird. Its pale yellow feathers weren't as sleek as the others, even though it was well groomed. The animal just looked tired, mean and jaded; it kept trying to bite its handler.

The chocobo looked at him long and hard; its eyes were bright and fearless. Cloud could almost hear the animal's thoughts just by its sharp, alert expression. _What are you looking at? Who do you think you are?_

He smiled and rubbed the chocobo's neck. He reached into his pocket for a butterscotch disk he could feed it, but the racing stewards were watching the paddock carefully, he sighed. "Relax, Pops."

The chocobo was distracted when another steward came over grabbed its bridle, it tried to bite its new handler too. It also shook out its feathers and stretched its wings, but Cloud could see that the rough handling and not the crowd noise was bothering this bird. Cloud made a mental note to try not to fight with it. If he could make friends with the chocobo, it would run better than if he tried to push it around like the stewards were doing.

Cloud was given a leg up onto its back and had to hug the bird's neck to hang on when another jockey steered his chocobo over to bump them hard from behind.

His mount wasn't the least bit surprised by the jostling; it turned and lashed out with its sharp beak at the other bird! Cloud laughed when the other jockey shrieked and wheeled his mount away. The pale blue feathered chocobo cowered behind a lavender hued bird and Cloud patted his mount's neck.

Track stewards stepped in between them with warnings to save their energy for the race and the procession to the starting gate started.

"You've raced a lot, haven't you?" Cloud asked. He was a little surprised that he was talking to the bird, but he could tell it was listening to him. It was relaxed and moving easily now that there was no one standing at his head yanking on his mouth. Cloud couldn't even feel it limping- was it was _happy_ to be racing?

The old bird was looking around at the colorful holograms that were projected all over the race track and seemed to be eager to get to the gate and start the race.

"Hey, new guy? How much you wanna bet you loose this race too?" one of the other riders interrupted his thoughts. Two others laughed too but Cloud just looked at the man silently and scowled.

The track workers loaded the number one post position into the gate and reached for another's bridle. "Hey, maybe he just talks to birds."

Cloud hid a grin when his chocobo tied to bite the blue chocobo again. He stroked the feathers on its neck and whispered. "Yeah, you'll show 'em."

The first rider didn't give up his taunting though; he was on a reddish chocobo. "That old bird couldn't win a game at the arcade let alone a _race_ nowadays."

"I'll bet you ten Gil that you're wrong!" Cloud snapped back at him.

"You're on, _Cloud_," the other said.

"Save it for the track, boys," the starter said.

His mount was led into the gate and then Cloud's turn. He hardly had time to think of anything else before the barred gates snapped open and the empty track was visible before them.

Cloud felt the chocobo surge forward, but he kept a firm hold on the reins. There was no way he was going to loose this race. He hadn't forgotten that his first race had been lost in the final strides and crossed the finish line second because he let his mount get tired too early.

The other racers were drawing ahead of them and his chocobo didn't like it, but Cloud ruffled his feathers and spoke to him calmly. "It's ok. The spiral hill is coming up and we'll pass most of them after it because you won't be tired but the guys in the lead will."

He had no idea how fast this bird was, but he hoped that Ester knew what she was doing.

The blue chocobo was moving easily just ahead of them. It was breezing through the spiral hill while most of the other birds were starting to get tired. The racers were tightly bunched as they went into the series of turns, but the blue chocobo was starting to move past the leaders and it was obvious that it wasn't running its fastest yet either.

"You ready, Pops?"

The chocobo whistled eagerly and tugged on the reins. He was trying to get his head down to run his fastest. Cloud smiled and leaned into the animal's neck and tried to let him run. They passed the rest of the pack easily, including the red one that had lead the way since the beginning but the blue chocobo was just moving into its best stride too.

Cloud was proud of the way his chocobo was trying but he still hoped there was time to catch the blue chocobo that had been so obnoxious before the race. "Hey Pops, let's get 'em! We get there first and they'll be sorry they messed with you."

The old bird was really starting to get tired, but Cloud could see they were gaining on the leaders. He urged the chocobo to go faster, kneading his hands along the bird's neck in time with its strides seemed to help it concentrate and Cloud kept at it. The finish line was coming up fast, but they were at the blue chocobo's flank and his chocobo showed no sign that it was going to give up!

He looked back and found the rest of the field hopelessly beaten some twenty lengths to the rear and smiled. "Yeah, just one more to beat and the race is over."

He ignored the dirty look the other jockey gave him and kept pushing his mount. For a few brief seconds, the two birds were even; moving as a team toward the bright lights across the track ahead. The other jockey whipped his hand hard against the bird's side, Cloud scowled, but the blue chocobo didn't respond. It was looking into the eye of the older chocobo, and it was afraid.

Cloud saw the blue chocobo surrender; it blinked and veered a stride to the left. That was all the old yellow bird needed; sensing victory, he sprinted into another gear for another three strides and then it was over. They won!

Celebrating a rank D win was a bit silly. There were a dozen races just like it every day at Gold Saucer, so tomorrow no one would even remember who won, but Cloud and the old chocobo were both happy. _That was fun! _Cloud thought, e_veryone said we were both losers, but we did it. Thanks, Pops._

Tifa and Aerith and the others were all free now. They could leave the desert and Corel Prison to continue their journey. He was surprised that his spirits fell a little bit as he thought about leaving already. He missed his friends though and he was worried about them too- especially Barret...

Cloud sighed and patted the chocobo's neck silently he wondered where the animal's groom was.

He was shocked that he felt a little tired too, but Cloud was very proud of the old racer. The bird was pretty exhausted, but it was clearly proud too, he smiled and offered it the candy that he hadn't been able to before. The bird took the treat greedily, and whistled; it nudged his hand affectionately without trying to bite him.

"There you are, buddy." An old man with coveralls and a tired smile gently took the chocobo's reins from Cloud. "Let's take you back to your stall. Watching you out there today almost gave me a heart attack, you old warrior… It was nice to see you win again."

The bird nudged him playfully and accepted a handful of greens from the old man. "Say, kid that was some nice riding out there today. I was a little worried when Ester told me she was gonna race him today, but I guess she paired you up ok. The old bird sure likes you, that's plain enough."

Cloud nodded and tried to smile, "I like him too."

"I've been around the races a long time. You've got talent, Cloud. That blue bird should have won and graduated into class C today, but you beat them- and with a bird that hasn't won in months. Ester tells me you're leaving, but I'd just bet we'll see you around the races again, kid."

"Maybe," Cloud said.

The chocobo nudged the old man toward the stabling area.

"Hey, what's his name?"

"They call him Comet." The old man called back.

_Comet? _Cloud thought for a moment. "I like that."

**Author's** **note**: I've always imagined chocobos being as varied in disposition, temperament and ability as the race horses that inhabit our world… Cloud calling his chocobo "Pops" was a little private joke honoring Red Pollard and Seabiscuit from the Great Depression.

And no, I don't think Cloud ever got his ten Gil from the jockey with the big mouth.


End file.
